In women with breast cancer, the chemotherapies and medications used to fight the cancer and its spread often cause significant bone degradation as a side effect. This is especially true of the newer, more targeted types of breast cancer treatments using aromatase inhibitors.
The authors recommend using osteoporosis treatments of various types at the early stages of cancer therapies in order to prevent or slow down the bone loss induced by cancer treatments.
Another researcher in an editorial in the Journal of Clinical Oncology points out that as breast cancer treatments have become more successful especially against metastasis, “that we should concern ourselves with preventing bone loss and fractures in women with breast cancer is a testament to the increasing relevance of surviorship issues.”
Resource:
2007. Body, JJ et al. “Management of Cancer Treatment-Induced Bone Loss in Early Breast and Prostate Cancer—a Concensus Paper of the Belgian Bone Club,” Osteopros Int.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/f76241213624m36m/
Related Links:
Shapiro, C., 2005. “Aromatase Inhibitors and Bone Loss: Risks in Perspective,” Jour of Clin Oncology. http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/23/22/4847
Breast cancer blog: When do I start osteoporosis preventive medications when being treated for breast cancer? breastcancer.org website
http://www.breastcancer.org/news_research/archives/ask_expert/2004_06/question_14.jsp
“Breast Cancer Treatment and Bone Loss” background information from breastcancer.org website. http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/bones/treatment.jsp